Combination beading, corrugating and flanging machine for steel drums



May 28, 1957 Filed Feb. 1, 1954 R. G. EVANS COMBINATION BEADING. CORRUGATING AND FLANGING MACHINE FOR STEEL DRUMS 3 Shqets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR m/mm Q Z ATTORNEYS .May 28, 1957 R. G. EVANS ,6

COMBINATION BEADING. CORRUGATING AND FLANGING MACHINE FOR STEEL DRUMS Filed Feb. 1, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet .2

if INVENTOR BY M11,

ATTORNEYfi y 2 1957 R. G. EVANS COMBINATION BEADING. CORRUGATING AND FLANGING MACHIN E FOR STEEL DRUMS Filed Feb. 1, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV .ENT OR J/mM BY mmawwga zflw,

ATTORNEY5 United States Patent COMBINATION READING, CORRUGATING AND FLANGING MACHINE FOR STEEL DRUMS Robert G. Evans, New Orleans, La. Application February 1, 1954, Serial No. 407,550

3 Claims. (Cl. 153-2) The present invention relates to a barrel-working machine, and more particularly to a machine for beading, corrugating and flanging steel drums or barrels.

It is presently common practice in the manufactur of steel drums to subject the steel cylinder from which the barrel is formed to a series of barrel-forming operations, each of the operations being performed by a separate machine. The flanging operation is performed first on one machine and the barrelshell is then conveyed to a second machine where it is corrugated, and finally to a third machine where it is beaded. Such a series of handlings and operations is necessarily costly, due among other things to the large amount of floor space required for the three-machine operation, the cost of themachines themselves, as well as the labor required to operate the machines. It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a single machine which will perform all the necessary barrel-forming operations in a single operating cycle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a completely automatic machine which will bead, corrugate, and flange a barrel in a single cycle.

Previous attempts have been made to construct machines of the general type with which this invention is concerned that combine the heading, corrugating and fianging operations, but the designs of such machines were such that they were incapable of being operated at suificient speed to keep up with present-day, high-speed production lines. It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a machine which operates efiiciently at high speeds during the successive .beading, corrugating, and flanging operations, especially when be ing employed to form steel barrels from light-gauge steel cylinders.

A further deficiency in prior machines of the general type herein described is that no effective means was provided to allow the axial shrinkage of the steel cylinder that is necessary to avoid over-stressing the steel as the cylinder is subjected to the successive barrel-forming operations. It is, therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a machine in which the beading and corrugating steps are performed successively, but so as to allow for stress-relieving shrinkage in thebarrel being formed before the hanging operation is completed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment of the present invention whichis illustrated in the attached drawings. i

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a machine incorporating the present invention, partly broken away to show the beading, corrugating and flanging rolls in barrel-engaging position;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the same machine as seen when looking in from the right-hand end of Figure l; p

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure .1; Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

- into engagement with the ends of the cylinder to provide 2,7 %,67'1 Patented May 28, 1957 Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a vertical section on line 6--6 of Figured; Figure 7 is a vertical section on line 7-7 of Figure l;and I, H z Figure 8 is a horizontal section on line 8-8 of Figure 1 showing the drive from the gear reducer to the lower cam shaft.

In general the machine of the present invention comprises an expansible and contractable support for a steel cylinder which is to be formed into a barrel, and one or more opposed forming rolls. The construction is such that when the support is in its contracted position, a.

steel cylinder can be placed in its barrel-forming position and firmly held there by moving the support to its ex panded position. The wall of the steel cylinder, when in its barrel-working position, lies between the opposed pairs of forming rolls with the rolls being arranged to move toward each other in selected sequence to distort the wall of the cylinder into the desired corrugated and beaded form. Thereafter a pair of fianging rolls, carried one adjacent each end of steel cylinder, are moved the desired flanges on the barrel. The forming rolls are driven through their sequential operating steps in timed relation with the contracting and expanding supports by means of a suitable motor and mechanical timing mechanism. r

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it may be seen that the operating mechanism of the present barrel-working machine is mounted principally on a main frame designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The main frame comprises an elongated base portion 11 and side members 12 and 13 upstanding therefrom. Side frame members- 12 and 13 are cut away to form longitudinal slots Hand 15 'of any desired length; however, they should be of sufficient length to accommodate the full length of a barrel. Abarrel B, which is to be worked, is positioned lengthwise in said slots, as shown in Figure 1, and is supported internally by a pair of generally annular discs 16 and 17,. one positioned at either end of the machine adjacent the ends of the elongated slots. As shown best;

in Figures 3 and 6, these annular discs are cut away to fit over the side frame members 12 and 13. A pair of gibs or elongated vertically disposed supporting elements 21, 21 and 22, 22' are secured to each side frame member 12 and 13 respectively by any suitable means such as bolts or screws 23 and 24. These pairs of supporting gibs are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the annular discs and it is thus seen that the discs can be easily lowered into positionand maintained within the channels thus formed. The discs have rotatably mounted thereon, adjacent their periphery, a

plurality of rollers 26 for purposes hereinafter described;

The beading, corrugating, and flanging mechanisms of the instant machine are also supported in the main frame. A shaft 27 extends longitudinally of the machine and lies in close proximity to the inner surface of barrel B, being journaled in bearing blocks 28 and 29 which are rigidly secured between the side frame members 12 and 13 by any suitable means such as bolts 25. Additional support may be provided for shaft 27 r as, for example,

bearing blocks 30 and 31 also carried by the side frame members intermediate the first mentioned blocks. A second shaft 32 is also mounted between the side frame.

members, however, for movement relative to shaft 27. Shaft 32 is positioned in close proximity to the outer surface of barrel B and is journaled in'bearing blocks 33 and 34 which are slidably supported between the side frames 12 and 13 adjacent their ends. Shaft 32 may also be additionally supported intermediate its ends by means of bearing blocks 35 and 36 which are also slidably mounted between the side frame members. These blocks are slidably mounted in any conventional manner such as between parallel ribs 37 and 38 carried by the side frames 12 and 1 3, respectively.

A plurality of cooperating beading and corrugating rolls, designated generally by the reference numerals 39 and 40,.are mounted on the shafts 27 and 32 respectively. As can be seen best from Figure 1,' the beading portions 41 of the rolls are of a larger. diameter than the corrugating portions 42. Shaft 27 also carries a'pair of annular flanging rolls 43 and 44, one at either end thereof adjacent the ends of the slots in the side frame members. The means whereby actuation and sequential operation of these beading, corrugating and flanging rolls is controlled will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The drive for the shafts 27. and 32 comprises a motor 45 mounted at the top portion of the side frames adjacent one sneer the machine. A gear 47 is mounted on motor drive shaft 46 and is in meshing engagement with a gear 48 carried by shaft 27. A link'49 extends between and is carried by shaft 27 and a floating shaft 50 which carries a gear 51 in meshing engagement with the gear 48 of shaft 27. A second link 52 is carried between shaft 50 and a second floating shaft 53 carries a gear 54 in meshing engagement with gear 51. A gear 55 is mounted on shaft 32 and is in meshing engagement with the floating gear 54. A third link 56 is carried between shafts 32 and 53 to maintain meshing relation between these gears 54 and 55. It is apparent, therefore, as the shaft 32 is moved up and d own in a manner hereinafter described, that a constant drive is maintained from the motor shaft 46 to shaft 32 through the floating shafts 50 and 53 and their respective gears.

A stationary cam shaft 57 extends longitudinally of the present machine and is suitably journaled adjacent its ends in bracket 58 and 59 which are mounted on the base 11 of the main frame. In the preferred embodiment, 'brackets 60' and 61 are mounted intermediate the brackets 58 and 59 to give additional support to shaft 57. A motor 62 drives cam shaft 57 through a conventional gear reducing mechanism 63 at a speed greatly reduced from that of shafts 27 and 32. Drive is taken from the gear reducer 63 to shaft 57 by any suitable means such as a belt 106 and sprocket 107 and 108 carried by the gear reduced shaft and cam shaft, respectively. Bearing blocks 33, 34, 35 and 36, in which shaft 32 is rotatably mounted, carry rollers 64, 65, 66 and 67, within a cutaway portion of these slides, with a section of the rollers lying below the bottom edge of the slides. A plurality of eams 68, 69, 70 and 71 are mounted on cam shaft 57 to underlie and engage the rollers 64, 65, 66 and 67, respectively. It is apparent, therefore, as can be seen best in Figure 2, that counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 57 will move shaft 32 upwardly through the action of the respective cams, rollers and slides. It should be understood, of course, that any number of these slide and cam arrangements could be used, four of each being shown by way of illustration.

As can be seen in Figure l, a second stationary cam shaft 72'is mounted above the shaft 27 with its ends suitably journaled in bearing blocks 28 and 30 carried by the side frame members. Shaft 72 rotates at the same speed as shaft 57, being driven from shaft 57 by means of sprockets 75 and 76 mounted on their respective shafts 72 and 57 and a belt 77 running thereover. A pair of inverted, generally U-shaped, rocker members 78 and 79 are pivotally supported intermediate the ends. of their depending leg portions 80, 80' and 81, 8.1 to the side frame members at 82, 82 and 83, 83. Pins or pegs 84 and 85'extend' inwardly from a. point intermediate the sides of the mutually facing top portion of rockers 78 and 79 and are in abutting relation with cams 86 and 87 which are carried by the shaft 67. A pair of rollers 90, 90' and 91, 91 are rotatably mounted adjacent the lower ends of the depending legs 80, 80 and 81, 81, respectively of the rockers 78 and 79. These rollers lie in abutting relation with the outer sides of the annular flanging rolls 43 and 44 which, as previously described, are loosely mounted on shaft 27. A plurality of springs 88 and 89 are mounted between the ends of beading and corrugating roll 39 and the fianging rolls 43 and 44 to urge the hanging rolls outwardly, thus urging the rockers into abutting relation with cams 86 and 87. It can thus be seen, that as the shaft 72 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the action of cams 86 and 87 on pins 84 and rocks the inverted U-shapcd rockers about their pivots 82, 82' and 83, 83 to thereby swing the depending leg portions thereof toward each other, thereby urging the flanging rolls into flanging contact with the ends of a barrel.

The means for supporting the barrel to be worked in proper relationship with the forming mechanism of the machine is of great importance since the design and construction of the supporting means largely determine the highest speed at which the machine may be employed to form barrels from lighter gauge steel. Since the supporting means comprises two identical mechanisms one at each end of a barrel being supported, only one such mechanism will be described. Referring to Figure 6 a wear plate 92 is secured to the true plate adjacent the upper end of the cut away portion. A cam 94 is also carried by shaft 72 and, as can be seen particularly in Figure 6, as the shaft 72 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the annular portion of cam 94 will engage a Wear plate 92 thereby moving the true plate upwardly. It can be seen therefore that as the steel cylinder is raised by the action of the lower corrugating and beading rolls the true plate and rolls rise with the cylinder.

In operation, a barrel B, is automatically fed to the machine by means of a high speed conveyor or other suitable means with the barrel being slidable into the machine from right to left as viewed in Figure 1. When the barrel B is in'its farthest forward position, that being the position in which it is worked, the forward edge thereof engages a switch which actuates the gear reducer mechanism 63 to thereby begin the cycle of working operations. Any suitable. switching means may be used, that shown by way of illustration being a limit switch 96 which is actuated by the forward edge of the barrel contacting the roller 97 of the switch. As the shafts 57 and 72 simultaneously begin to rotate, the annular portion of cam 94 immediately forces the true plate upwardly so that the true rollers 26 are held firmly in engagement with the inner periphery of the barrel. At the same time the cams 68, 69, 70 and 71 which are carried by the lower shaft 57 gradually urge slides 33, 34, 35 and 36 which carry shaft 32 upwardly. As can be seen particularly in Figure l, as the rapidly rotating cooperating rolls 39 and 40 carried on shafts 27 and 32 are brought into barrel engagement, the beading operation is performed first due to the greater diameter of the beading portion 41' of the rolls. As the shaft continues to rotate in a counterclockwise. direction, shaft 32 continues to move upwardly toward shaft 27, thereby bringing the cooperating corrugating portions 42 of the rolls into barrel engaging position to thereby form corrugations on the barrel. It should be understood, of course, that the beading and corrugating rolls are removably mounted so that any desirable beading and corrugating pattern can be produced.

While the beading and corrugating operations have been performed, shaft 72 has continued to rotate in syn-- chronism with shaft 57 with the earns 86 and 87 gradually forcing the rockers 78 and 79 to pivot about their pivot points 82, 82' and 83, 83', respectively. This rocking action causes theflanging rolls 43 and 44 to move slowly toward each other and at the same time to bend the forward edges 98 and 99 of the barrel against the end portions 100 and 101 of the beading and corrugating roll 40. As the shaft 72 nears the completion of its cycle, the beading and corrugating operations have been completed and the flanging rolls 43 and 44 are now moved into the flanging position shown in Figure 1 to complete the flanging step. Upon completion of the flanging step the shafts 54 and 72 continue to move until the cams 68, 69, 70 and 71 pass their high point, thus allowing the shaft 32 through its slides 33, 34, 35, and 36 to drop downwardly. Cam 94 at the same time has rotated to a position where its flat portion 102 is at the top, thus allowing the true plate to drop. At this point, the rotation of shafts 57 and 72 is stopped by any suitable switching means, such as a roller 103 throwing switch 104 upon being tripped by a dog 105 carried on the side of bearing slide 33. The completed barrel is then automatically removed from the machine and another barrel moved into position to start the cycle over again.

As is apparent from the above description of the operation of the present machine, the complete beading, corrugating, and flanging operations are successively completed in a single cycle, however, allowing a complete shrinking of the barrel before the flanging step is completed.

The above detailed description of one embodiment of the present barrel-working machine is merely by way of illustration and any changes that might occur to one skilled in the art are contemplated within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A machine for beading, corrugating, and fianging a barrel, comprising means for rotatably supporting the barrel in Working position, a pair of cooperating heading and corrugating rolls, means for rotatably supporting one of said beading and corrugating rolls in close proximity to the inner surface of said barrel, means for rotatably supporting the other of said beading and corrugating rolls in close proximity to the outer surfaces of said barrel, means for moving said externally positioned roll toward said internally positioned roll and into barrel engaging position, a pair of flanging rolls, means to rotatably support said flanging rolls adjacent the ends of said barrel, and means to move said filanging rolls into their operative fianging position, the beading portion of said cooperating rolls being of a larger diameter than the corrugating portions of said rolls whereby said barrel is successively engaged between said beading and said corrugating portions of said rolls, said means for moving said rolls including a further rotatable shaft, means to rotate said further shaft, and means actuated upon rotation of said further shaft to move said Hanging rolls, and said last means including a pair of cams carried by said further shaft, and a pair of rocker members in abutting relation with said respective fianging rolls.

2. A barrel-working machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said cooperating heading and corrugating rolls are mounted on a first and second shaft, said second shaft being movable relative to said first shaft, means to rotate said shafts, said means for moving said external roll relative to said internal roll including a third rotatable shaft, means to rotate said third shaft, and means carried by said third shaft to move said second shaft relative to said first shaft.

3. A barrel-working machine as set forth in claim 2 in which said means for rotating said further shaft includes means for rotating said further shaft in synchronism with said third shaft, said third shaft being driven at a greatly reduced speed from said first and second shafts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 154,685 Lafferty et al. Sept. 1, 1874 238,468 Wilson, Jr Mar. 1, 1881 1,899,225 Bahner Feb. 28, 1933 2,309,344 Harrington Jan. 26, 1943 2,649,129 Schlank Aug. 18, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 630,475 France Apr. 23, 1927 366,424 Great Britain Feb. 4, 1932 

